Longview Hills @ Newport Oregon

On Neighborhood Watch..

On the inside.

What is it like to run a Neighborhood Watch program for 170 residences? That number itself should give you a big clue. It ain’t easy McGee. Think of it, just one problem like the water being polluted or ruining your clothes if you wash tomorrow.

Let’s take a stroll in the Block Captain Coordinator’s shoes for awhile during this alert. First the alert comes from some source... In this case an alert Block Captain resident (Dan Wilson) found the announcement in the paper. He calls Marlene Crites (our Block Captain Coordinator). Marlene picks up her list of 36 block Captains she has to call and warn and every one of which wants to chat. 2 hours later still calling. She then calls Larry Henson who puts a sign on the mail room door. Next day she makes an announcement at the catered breakfast.. hoping she has got everyone up to speed. Marlene worries about doing her best so she is very critical of what she has done. I think she did a pretty darn good job.

When the water is ok to use again Marlene will have to do the calling all over again and so will the block captains.

Marlene stops by on days like this and vents her frustration with the system. I have heard other Coordinators say the same thing. This is a lousy system we have here. I’m thinking why don’t we just fix it?

Now we will be trying some new stuff and maybe you won’t like to try it because you don’t like change. Hang in there let’s go down this road. It is darn near as bad as it can be now so let’s try some changes. Block Captains this will set you free too.

Here is what the idea looks like right now. Block Captains you are aware of the new map system showing areas and block captain zones? If not you need to pick one up from Marlene. Let’s assume you are aware. Note the areas are divided into Area 1, 2 and 3. Marlene would be Area Block Captain for Area1, Rod McCready for Area 2 and an unnamed as yet for Area 3.

Now let’s give an alarm and see what happens. First note that the coordinator calls about 1/3 as many block captains because we have divided up the park. Whichever coordinator gets the alarm passes it on to the other two. They start calling their block captains they ask them to call one other block captain in addition to their own people. (That cuts the area leader’s calls in half.) In case you haven’t been following the math the coordinators now have about 6 people to call instead of 36. Now that’s a bit more manageable. Let’s get it reduced even more.

During the call the block captains are told to tell their people that there will be no call to tell them that everything is back to normal and ok. Instead they are instructed to tell everyone to turn on their Emergency FRS radios to CH 5, during the event and listen for updates, instructions and for the all is normal call. The radio will broadcast for a predetermined number of times and then announce that the emergency radio network is secured.